25 September 2012, New York – As the United Nations General Assembly gets under way, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva is in New York this week to participate in a number of high-level events and bilateral meetings on issues ranging from scaling-up nutrition interventions and empowering rural women to enhancing partnerships with civil society and addressing food security challenges in dry-land countries.

On Thursday, 27 September, the Director-General will participate in the launch of a joint initiative of UN Women and the three Rome-based UN food agencies to support rural women’s economic empowerment and food security. Later that day, he will be a panellist on “Advancing Nutrition along the Value Chain” during a high-level meeting on scaling up nutrition convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Graziano da Silva will also attend an event hosted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, titled “Feed the Future: Partnering with Civil Society”.

Other meetings taking place this week include a high-level event on the Sahel, convened by the Secretary-General, a side event on the G8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and an event sponsored by the Global Dry Land Alliance, where the Director-General will address food security challenges and national and international policies in dry-land countries.

On Tuesday, Graziano da Silva spoke at a side event on “Addressing the Impact of Commodity Derivative Trading”, organized by the Common Fund for Commodities.

The Director-General also met with Vuk Jeremić, President of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, and held bilateral meetings with a number of high-level officials from FAO member countries.

In a meeting with First Lady Nadine Heredia of Peru, the Director-General invited her serve as FAO Special Ambassador for the International Year of Quinoa, which will be observed by the United Nations in 2013. The first lady would join President Evo Morales of Bolivia, who was named FAO Special Ambassador in June.

FAO efforts to promote quinoa are part of its overall strategy to encourage the rediscovery of traditional or forgotten crops as a means of combating hunger and promoting healthy eating.

Meeting with new World Bank President

On Friday, the Director-General will travel to Washington, DC, where he will meet with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, US Government officials and representatives of the private sector.